Thermostatic construction



Sept. 29, 1931. 1.. M. PAYNE THERMOSTATIC CONSTRUCTI ON Filed Nov. 8, 1929 INVENTOR L a 772 ie r 2 A7. Pay

72 e. Q'WJMQ'W ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 29, 1931 PATENT OFFICE IAMBERT I. PAYNE, 011' DETROIT, IICHIGAN THEBMOSTATIC CONSTRUCTION Application filed November 8, 1929. Serial No. 405,599.

This invention relates to thermostatic units.

The main objects of this invention are tov provide an improved thermostatic unit particularly suitable for use in conjunction with an automobile radiator for controlling the shutters which govern the amount of air passing through the radiator; to provide an improved thermostatic device of this character which will be quickly responsive to changes in temperature; to provi e a unit of this character in which the operating parts do not pass through the water in the radiator upon which the unit is mounted, thereby obviating the use of packing glands and the like; and to provide a device of this character which is a compact unit and which may be readily mounted upon a radiator or the like, after having been assembled as a unit prior to the mounting thereof.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an automobile radiator equipped with my improved invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged face view of the unit and the mounting ring therefor.

Heretofore in the construction of thermostatic units for use on automobile radiators, it has been necessary to provide packing glands for the operating arm or plunger which isactuated by the thermostatic element. Such construction has not been entirely satisfactory due to the fact that if the packing gland is set up too tight, the operatmg plunger or piston passing therethrough would be subjected to undue friction and thereby interfere with its operation. On the other hand, if the packing gland is not-set up sufliciently tight, leakage will occur. As is well known in the use of packing glands, after use for a period of time the gland will then become loose to such an extent that leakag occurs and adjustment is required fromglands, but heretofore at least one' of the walls between which the gasifying liquid employed for expanding the bellows is conned, has been exposed to the circulation of air, or has been so constructed as to cool, 66' rather than heat, the liquid in the bellows.

In my present invention the entire unit is placed within a unitary flanged cup member in such manner that when the cup member is mounted in the water header of a radiator 00 all of the operating, parts are sealed off from the cooling fluid wlthin the radiator and the heat in the water is transmitted to the 'belhws both from the inside and outside there- In the construction shown in the drawings an automobile radiator having an upper tank or water header 4 and lower tank or water header 5 is provided with a plurality of vertically disposed tubes 6 in the usual manner 10 of tubular radiators. An outer shell 7 ,is provided for the radiator core and the front end thereof is provided with a plurality of pivoted shutters 8 which are inter-connected y a link 9 in a conventional manner so as to operate in unison for controlling the amount 0 air which passes to the tubes of the radiator core.

Myimproved means for automatically operating t e shutters 8 in accordance with the temperature of the cooling fluid in the u per tank 4, com rises an outer casin in the orm of a taper cup 10 which has tfie rim thereof turned outwardly to form a radially extending integral attachment flange 11, by which the unit may be mounted. The opposite end of the casing 10, i. e. the bottom of the cup, is shown as having an end of a corrugated portion of a cup-shaped expansible bellows 12 sealed thereto with the outer walls of the bellows in spaced relation to the inner walls of the casing 10. V

The bottom of the cup, inward from the outer edge thereof, is depressed within the bellows 12 to form an integral and oppositely tapered inner cu or casing wall 13 which extends substantia ly co-extensive of the bellows 12 when in contracted position. A transverse portion or bottom 14 of the inner cup or casing 13 may at times be engaged by a lot transverse portion or bottom 17 of the cupshaped expansible bellows 12 as shown, in which case it then serves as a support there for. The inner cup or casing 13 is also in 5 spaced relation to the bellows 12 and the space therebetween is filled with the usual type of gasifying liquid which will expand when subected to heat.

The rim 11 of the outer casing 10 is shown as embraced by the reversely turned marginal edge of a disc-shaped head or cover 15, which is provided at its center with an opening having its edges so shaped and drawn outwardly so as to provide clearance for an axiall movable piston rod 16 while nevertheless loosely or generally confining air within said cover. The inner end of the rod 16 is shown as provided with a head which is suitably secured as by soldering to a bottom or transverse portlon 17 of the expansible bellows 12. The outer end of the rod.16 is shown as embraced by the bifurcated ends of a yoke 18 which is integrally formed on one end of a multiplying lever 19.

A pin 20, disposed at right angles to the axis of the piston rod 16, is provided in the outer end of the said rod in position to be embraced by the bifurcated ends of the yoke 18, forming therewith a pin-and-slot connection such that movement of the piston rod will actuate said yoke. An adjusting nut 21 may be threaded on the piston rod 16 for limiting the inward movement of said rod independently of the bottom 14 of the cup 13. The multilying lever 19 is fulcrumed on a pin 22 which is supported by the outer ends of bracket clips 23 and 24, which are welded or otherwise suitably secured to the head 15. The end of the lever 19, opposite to the yoke 18, is pivoted to one end of a link 24, the opposite end of which is ivoted at 25 to the link 9, which is attac ed to the shutters 8.

The unit is shown as mounted in the radiator by clamping the radially extending flange 11 and marginal edge of the head 15 between a retaining ring 26 and an inwardly extending flange 27 of a mounting ring 28. A gasket 29 is interposed between the flange 27 and the rim 11 for securing a water tight sealed connection. Cap screws 30 pass through the retaining ring 26 and thread into the mounting ring 28.

In the operation of this device the upper tank of the radiator is equipped with the mounting ring 28 and the thermostatic unit is assembled therein against the gasket 29 by the retaining ring 26 which is secured by the cap screws 30. The multiplying lever 19 is connected up through the link 24 to the shutter control link 9 and suitably adjusted so that the shutters 8 are in closed position when the coolin fluid in the upper tank 4 is relatively colf.

Upon a rise in temperature of fluid in the tank 4 the heat is quickly communicated to the thermostatic element by reason of the radiator cooling fluid being within the inner casing or cup 13, as well as surrounding the outer casing 10. By reason of the cup 13 extending substantially co-extensive with the bellows 12, a very large area of the inner cup is in contact with the temperature responsive fluid which fills the bellows 12, and therefore quickly transmits any change in temperature of the water in the tank 4 to the liquid in the bellows. Furthermore, any such changes in temperature are transmitted to such liquid through the walls of the outer cup 10 and the air between the same and the bellows. The heating of this air will also be facilitated due to the fact that the heat of the water within the inner cup will be transferred through its bottom and through the end 17 of the bellows 12, by way of direct metallic contact, to such air. With this arrangement the bellows will respond very quickly to changes in temperature of the cooling fluid within the radiator.

Expansion of the bellows 12 carries the disc 17 and piston rod 16 outwardly or to the right as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. thereby swinging the yoke 18 of the lever 19 outwardly through engagement of the pin 20 with the bifurcated ends of the yoke. The lever 19, being fulcrumed on pin 22. moves the link 24 to the left as viewed in the drawings, thereby rotating the shutters 8 about the pivots 31 and thus opening the shutters and permitting air to pass therebetween in proportion to the amount of movement which has been imparted thereto by the thermostatic element.

By reason of the tapered shape of the inner cup 13, whose axis is horizontally positioned. air will not be entrapped therein and no objectionable air pockets thus formed.

It will be apparent that in the broader aspects of the present invention it is not essential that the disc 15 be permanently secured to the outwardly flanged rim of the cup 10, although this is desirable, as the disc 15 may be made separate and be clamped in place in cooperative relationship with respect to the cup 10 by the ring 26. or the disc 15 may be eliminated entirely and the member 15 instead of being formed as a ring, be formed as a disc serving the dual function of the ring 26 and disc 15 as shown, that is. as a guide for the stem 16 and as a clamping and supporting member.

However, in case the lever 19 is formed as a part of the thermostatic unit by being mounted on the head 15 in the preferred form of my invention, the entire unit may be adjusted at the point of manufacture to meet predetermined conditions in operation, and simply be assembled in place on the vehicle without necessitating further adjustments. This is an important factor from a service standpoint. Another point is that by employing the bottom 14 of the cup 13 as a stop for the head of the bellows, undue strain on the belwhich is commensurate with the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a tubular body provided with an out-turned flange at one end thereof and an inturned flange at the other end thereof, a cup-shaped member in spaced relation within said body and having its rim sealed to said inturned flange, an expansible cup-shaped metal bellows positioned between said body and said member and having its rim sealed with respect to the rim ofsaid member and means for so horizontally sup porting the same as exteriorly to expose both said body and said member to a cooling fluid while exposing a surface of said bellows to air within said body;

2. In combination, a radiator having a water header, a shutter mechanism for controlling the flow of air through said radiator, said header having an opening in a side wall thereof, an imperforate cup inserted into said header through said opening with its axis horizontally disposed, a radially outwardly extending flange on the open end of said cup, means for clamping said flange to said wall to seal said header against leakage through said opening, a metal bellows within said cup and secured at one end against movement relative thereto, and means movable with the opposite end of said bellows operatively connected to said shutter mechanism, said cup having'a depressed bottom so formed and disposed as to obviate entrapping of air externally thereof.

3. In combination, a radiator having a water header, a shutter mechanism for controlling the flow of air through said radiator, said header having an opening in a side wall thereof, an imperforate cup inserted into said header through said opening with its axis horizontally disposed, a radially outwardly extending attachment flange on the open end of said cup, means for so clamping said flange to said wall as to seal said header against leakage through said opening, a metal bellows within said cup and secured at one end against movement relative thereto, a rod fixed relative to the other end of said bellows generally confining air within said cover..

4. In combination, a radiator having a water header, a shutter mechanism for controlling the flow of air through said radiator, said header having an opening in a side wall thereof, an imperforate cup inserted into said header through said openin with its axis horizontally disposed, a radially outwardly extending attachment flange on the open end of said cup, means for so clamping said flange to said wall to seal said header against leakage through said opening, a metal bellows within said cup and secured at one end against movement relative thereto, a rod fixed relative to the other end of said bellows and projecting out of the open end of said cup, a cover for said cup having an opening through which said rod projects, edges of said opening'being so formed as to provide clearance for said rod in its movement, a nut on said stem co-operating with said cover to control a limit of movement of said stem, and means operatively connecting said stem and shutter mechanism.

5 In combination, a radiator having a water header, a shutter mechanism for con trolling the flow of air through said radiator, said header having an opening in a side wall thereof, an imperforate cup inserted into said header through said opening with its axis horizontally disposed, a radially outwardly extending attachment flange on the open end of said cup. means for so clamping said flange to said wall to seal said header against leakage through said opening, a metal bellows within said cup and secured at one end against movement relative thereto, a rod fixed relative to the other end of said bellows and projecting out of the open end of said cup, a cover for said cup having an opening through which said rod projects, the edges of said opening being so formed as to provide clearance for said rod in its movement,

,a but on said stem co-operating with said cover to control a limit of movement of sa1d casing in spaced relation thereto, said inner casing having that end thereof corresponding to the flanged end of said outer casing closed and the opposite end joined to said outer casing, and a corrugated bellows mounted in the space between said casings in position to be acted upon by the temperature of both of said casings, said casings and said bellows normally having an axis common thereto horizontally disposed and being so secured relatively to one another and to said support as not only to confine expansion fluid between one of said casings and one corrugated surface of said bellows while admitting air to the opposite surface of said bellows, between said casings, but also to expose the exterior of the outer casing and the interior ner casing extending into said surface of the inner casing to cooling fluid.

7. A thermostatic devlce of the class described comprising an outer casing having an out-turned flange at one end thereof for engagement with a fixed support, an inner casing in spaced relation thereto, said inner casing having that end thereof corresponding to the flanged end of said outer casing closed and the opposite end joined to said outer casing, an expansible bellows including a corrugated portion and nested over said inner casing in the space between said casings, and said casings being 0 positely'tapered to prevent formation 0 air pockets and being spaced to receive said corrugated portion.

8. A thermostatic device of the class described comprisin inner and outer cups in spaced opposed re ation with the rim of said inner cup joined to and forming the bottom of said outer cup, the rim of the outer cup having an attaching flange, a cup shaped expansible bellows nested over said inner cup and including a corrugated portion in the space between said cups, with a rim of said bellows, at an end of said corrugated portion, joined to the rim of the inner cup, and a temperature responsive fluid within said bellows, said inner cup and said bellows each including a transverse portion and said transverse portions being so disposed as at times to be in mutual engagement.

9. A thermostatic unit comprising a cupshaped expansible bellows, a on -shaped inner casing extending into said llows substan'tially co-extensive thereof, rims of said bellows and cup being joined in sealed relation, a tern erature responsive fluid sealed within said ellows, and an outer casing surrounding said bellows and mounted in a container wall and having one end "ontinuous with the rim of the inner casing, said casings and said bellows normally having an axis common thereto horizontally disposed and being so secured relatively to one another and to said wall as not only to confine expansion fluid between one of the casings and one corrugated surface of the bellows while admittin air to the opposite surface of the bellows, etween the casings, but also to expose the exterior of the outer and the interior of the inner of said casings tocooling fluid.

10. A thermostatic unit comprising a cupshaped expansible bellows, a on -shaped inllows substantially co-extensive thereof, rims of said bellows and cup being joined in sealed relation, a temperature responsive fluid sealed within said bellows, an outer casing surrounding said bellows and havin one end joined to the rim of said inner casln and a laterally projecting flange at the ot er end of said outer casin for engagement with a supporting means for said unit, said casings normally having an axis common thereto horizontally disposed and being so secured relatively to one another and to said support as not only to confine expansion fluid between one of said casings and one corrugated surface of said bellows while admitting air to the opposite surface of said bellows, between said casings, butalso to expose the exterior of the outer casing and the interior of the inner casing to cooling fluid.

11. A thermostatic device of the class described comprising an outer casing, having a flange secured to a support, an inner casing in s aced relation thereto, said inner casing having one end closed and the opposite end joined to said outer casing. and a thermostat bellows mounted in the space .between said casings in position to be acted upon by the temperature of both of said casings, said inner casing being tapered so that air will not be entrapped therein when immersed in liquid with the axis thereof in horizontal position and being so secured relatively to one another and to said support as not only to confine expansion fluid between one of said casings and one corrugated surface of said bellows while admitting air to the opposite surface of said bellows, between said casings, but also to expose the exterior of the outer casing and the interior surface of the inner casing to cooling fluid.

LAMBERT M. PAYNE. 

